


Suddenly (I'm in love with a stranger)

by AmyDancepantsPeralta



Series: without you, I'm nothing (one shot tumblr prompts) [2]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago Fluff, Peraltiago, Tumblr One-Shot Prompt, Wedding date, fake boyfriend, secret pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 07:17:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19329739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyDancepantsPeralta/pseuds/AmyDancepantsPeralta
Summary: He had been on his way to the bar, a spring in his step when a cloud of dark hair, brown eyes andcurveshad run up to him, throwing her hands around his neck and shouting “BABE!  I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”.Arms wrapping around her as he absorbed the impact of her body crashing into his, Jake’s brows had furrowed in confusion as the Mystery Woman twisted her head towards his, whispering into his ear - “There’s a guy over there that won’t stop hitting on me and I told him you were my boyfriend, please please PLEASE go along with it!”A one-shot response to two tumblr prompts - "Please be my fake boyfriend at this bar", and "I need a date for this wedding."





	Suddenly (I'm in love with a stranger)

**Suddenly (I’m in love with a stranger)**

There was nothing about this particular Friday night that seemed to set it apart from all the others. Jake had met Charles at their favourite bar, Shaw’s, and over the course of the night had managed to confirm his title as the Dartboard King of Brooklyn (Shaw’s Edition).

He had been on his way to the bar, a spring in his step from his newfound title when a cloud of dark hair, brown eyes and _curves_ had run up to him, throwing her hands around his neck and shouting “BABE! I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”.

Arms wrapping around her as he absorbed the impact of her body crashing into his, Jake’s brows had furrowed in confusion as the Mystery Woman twisted her head towards his, whispering into his ear - “ _There’s a guy over there that won’t stop hitting on me and I told him you were my boyfriend, please please PLEASE go along with it!_ ” 

Her breath had felt warm against his skin, and her body fit perfectly against his. And without a second thought, Jake had tightened his grip around her, loudly answering, “Uhh .. hey babe, hey! So glad you found me!” In an instant, he can feel the tension leave her body.

She tucks her head into the base of his neck, giving the illusion of a tender kiss to his shoulder, and Jake turns his gaze to the bar in front of them. A greasy skinned man with overlong hair is watching the two of them, lips curled in contempt as he stared. Jake takes the opportunity to glare back, narrowing his eyes in a silent threat as he tightens his grip again, turning his head to whisper into the woman’s ear - “Just stay where you are - I’ll give you the all-clear when he’s gone.”

He feels her nod against his shoulder, and Jake pulls his eyes back to Mr Creep. He’s shaking his head this time, the eye-roll obvious even through the crowded bar, and he skulks off in search for the next prey.

Jake’s hands move to the woman’s waist, pulling away slightly as he speaks, eyes still trained on the room. “Okay, you’re good. He’s moved on.”

A voice filled with gratitude cuts through the white noise of the bar, louder now that she isn’t tucked into his neck. “Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver.” His eyes turn to the woman still in his arms, and in an instant, he feels his heart stop. She was _beautiful_. 

When he was younger, Jake had picked up a book that once belonged to his mother, long since ‘borrowed’ by Gina. The cover had been adorned with a vivid illustration of a muscle-bound man clad in a ripped shirt, hovering next to a woman that, even years later, could only be described in his memory as a _siren_. Dark flowing hair, soft supple lips, and eyes that pierced through the cover. To the teenage minded Jake, this character had become the Ultimate Example of the perfect woman - the kind of beauty drawn only from the imagination of an author - never to be discovered in real life.

(The book’s contents, on the other hand, had made him gag with its overly sappy words. How Gina read them, he would _never_ understand.)

There had never been the expectation that one day Jake would meet such a woman. But, hand on heart, he would swear on his life that such a woman had appeared in front of him tonight.

And he was _definitely_ staring. 

She raises her brows, eyes beginning to turn wary, and he realises that his arms are still around her. He can feel the heat begin to burn his skin as he flushes, pulling away with a start and running his hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment. Part of him can still feel her tucked into his side, and he feels strangely empty now without her there.

“Uh, sorry … I just … ahh … are you okay?” _Why is talking suddenly outside of his grasp?_

She smiles, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth, and Jake’s heart skips a beat. “Yeah. I’m fine. Seriously, thank you. I don’t normally do that, but he wouldn’t stop talking to me. I could feel him watching me when I got up and I saw you and I just … “ her hands flail in the air, trying to find the words to describe her situation. He nods, and her hands lower again. 

“Anyway. I’m sorry if I startled you. You were really good, though. At playing the boyfriend. I hope I haven’t disrupted your night too much.”

“Not at all. I just hope your actual boyfriend won’t mind me walking in his shoes for a minute there.”

She shakes her head in a rapid motion. “No, no boyfriend. I’m not here with anyone tonight.”

Jake’s heart skips another beat.

“Wow. I answered that really quickly, didn’t I?” she continues, pulling back her hair as her face begins to blush. “I just meant that I was supposed to be meeting my friend Kylie here but I think she’s flaking on me, and I was watching this thing on Dateline the other day about how there are some men who seek out the single woman at the bar as their ultimate prize only the prize isn’t anything except the woman’s naked body being dumped in the woods somewhere so you’ve probably just saved my life for real and oh god I’m rambling aren’t I?”

He laughs, instantly terrified that he’s hurt her feelings, and visibly relaxes when she begins to laugh with him. It was an amazing laugh, too. The kind he could listen to forever.

( _Wait …. when did FOREVER come into the picture, Peralta? Who’s the creepy guy now?_ )

Clearing his throat, Jake runs a hand through his hair before speaking. “Listen, you’re more than welcome to come and hang out with me and my buddy Charles for the night. No strings, I promise -” he interjects as he watches the hesitation form in her eyes. “We’re just two guys playing dartboard. We’re both detectives for the 99th precinct, shooting off some steam from a case, and to the best of our knowledge we’ve never been put in the Creepy Guy Category.”

Her eyes light up, and it’s his new favourite thing to watch. “You’re a detective? I’ve just joined the academy. I’d love to hear some pointers!”

He beams. “Right this way, m’lady.”  
* * *

The Mystery Woman, as it turned out, was called Amy. ( _Amy. How had he never noticed how beautiful the name AMY was before?!_ ) And she had just completely robbed him of his title of Dartboard King. 

And the thing is - she hadn’t just beat him at the game. She’d _annihilated_ him. Completely kicked his ass. And he’d be lying if he’d said that he didn’t find it incredibly sexy.

“Alright Jake, hand over the title!” Amy declared, hands raised in victory as she smiled over at him.

Slumping his shoulders, Jake hung his head briefly, trying to hide his smile as he reached towards the nearby booth. Quickly grabbing something and hiding it behind his back, he returned to Amy, no longer attempting to conceal his joy.

“Wait a minute, I just beat you. You shouldn’t be smiling. Why are you smiling? Charles, why is he smiling?”

“Your majesty,” Jake announced before Charles could interrupt, “I present to you … your crown.” He releases his hands with a flourish, revealing a gaudy gold toy crown.

“Wait … what? How? You actually had a crown this whole time?”

“Nah. Those guys over there are having a bucks night, and I managed to convince one of them to give me theirs.”

She looks over at him, eyes wide with wonder, and for a moment he forgets his own name. “Still. That was really sweet of you.”

Truth be told, he’d been hoping to wear it when he’d beat her at the game, to take a victory lap and remind her of the rightful King. Turns out, it had belonged to the Queen this whole time. He shrugs his shoulders, not ready to admit how happy it made him to see _her_ so happy, holding out the crown with two hands as he places it onto her head.

Amy beams up at him, proud in all her splendour, and Jake never wants the night to end. He never thought he’d be grateful for the presence of a creepy guy at a bar, and yet … here he was. 

It didn’t help that she had the kind of warm brown eyes that drew him in, regardless of the conversation. It didn’t help, that her smile always seemed to settle in the surprise location of right beside his heart. And it _certainly_ didn’t help that within twenty minutes of them hanging out, Charles had leaned over to Jake and loudly whispered - “This is it, Jakey! She’s the one! Your dream girl! I can tell!”

He’d shrugged his best friend off with a vehement shake of his head, because everything that he had said was completely insane ( _except that maybe it wasn’t_ ). She was beautiful, yes, and incredibly intelligent. In the last hour she had repeated more NYPD codes than he and Charles, _the actual cops_ , knew put together. They talked and laughed and drank and danced as though they had known each other for years, not hours, and he found himself watching her lips as she spoke, wondering if they would feel as soft as they looked. Or if her hands would curl perfectly against his own.

But still, he hesitated. The whole reason they’d even met was so that she could escape being hit on by another guy. Hitting on her now would be a total douche move. 

“This has turned into the BEST night, you guys. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.” She smiled over at him, crown slightly askew as she takes another sip of her drink, and Jake looks at the tiny flowers that run along her blouse. He would find a garden filled with the same, and pick them all for her, if it meant he’d see that smile again. 

She continues, unaware of Jake’s musings. “You totally saved me from that dude. If there’s anything I can ever do to return the favour, you name it and I’ll be there.”

He’s already in the process of shaking his head at Amy’s kind offer when Charles interjects, putting on a coy smile as he calmly states - “I have an idea.” He turns his head sharply to his best friend, eyes wide with concern at what kind of hare-brained scheme was about to be unleashed.

“Wait … this isn’t going to be some weird dare situation, is it? Because I swore to myself that I would never streak through the bar. Not after last time.”

Jake’s head turns back towards Amy, picking up on what she’d just admitted, but before he can even begin the line of questions forming, Charles pipes up again, this time announcing “No, nothing like that. Jake is going to a wedding next Thursday, and he doesn’t have a date. You should do it. You should be his date.”

Swinging his whole body back to Charles, Jake nearly ends up with whiplash as he stares his friend down. “Charles. Don’t be crazy. Amy, you don’t have to do that.”

“But … I want to do it.”

He turns back towards Amy, starting to feel like a spectator in a tennis match, and sets his gaze solely on her. “Seriously. You don’t owe me anything.”

Her eyes widen, and the tips of her ears begin to turn read as she takes a step back. “Unless you don’t want me there …”

“No. Wait. That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s okay, Jake. I get it. You’ve probably got someone …”

“He doesn’t! He’s totally single.”

“ _Charles!_ ”

His heart begins pounding, and tries not to take hope from the smile that has returned to her face. Biting her lip, she shrugs. “Jake, let me help you. It’s just a wedding. It kinda sounds like fun. If all else fails, there’s always the open bar.”

He watches her intently, trying to determine if she was still offering only out of obligation. Truth be told, the idea of spending another night with her, regardless of the circumstance, was incredibly appealing. 

“So, it’s decided!” Charles interrupts, stepping between them and throwing one around each of their shoulders. “Dianetti wedding, here we come!” 

“ _Charles!_ ”

* * *

Amy pulls in another breath, wincing as her ribs groan in protest. She honestly couldn’t remember another night where she had laughed as much as she had tonight. And it was entirely Jake Peralta’s fault.

Okay, _technically_ , it was probably hers. She had been the one, after all, that had run all batshit crazy into his unsuspecting arms, babbling about creepy guys and fake boyfriends. Without that, their paths probably wouldn’t have ever crossed. But oh, how glad she was that they had. 

As they had left the bar she had been complaining about her shoes – still too new to be worn all night (a rookie error on her end) - and Jake’s offer of a piggyback ride home had been met with more laughter. Until he had lifted her, and that feeling of _safe_ and _home_ washed over her again, and before she knew it she was being carried home in her very own chariot. His hands never strayed from the back of her knees, ever the gentleman holding her tight as he walked down the street, and when he laughed the vibrations ran through his back and straight to her heart.

He had just been such a shiny beacon of _hope_ in that seedy bar, and his arms had felt so warm around her. So willing to help a stranger, and so welcoming afterwards. He was handsome, with his distinctive profile, and had a smile that made her a little weak. And for the past hour, she had been trying desperately _not_ to think about what it would be like to kiss him. They had talked all night, about everything and nothing, and Amy couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the start of something much bigger than themselves. She wanted to get to know him, in any way that he would let her, and the sheer insanity of going to a wedding of two people she didn’t even know, just to spend another night with him, didn’t escape her. 

He’s nearing her apartment now and she leans down to him, cheek brushing against his as she moves. A countless number of tingles run straight down her spine, and she takes a deep breath in, absorbing his cologne with a soft sigh. She was starting to feel more than a little bit smitten with this stranger. Mistaking her sigh as one of disapproval, he cranes his neck slightly to catch her from the corner of his eye. “Oh, my cologne is probably a little too strong. Sorry.” His hands lower slightly, releasing his grip as he squats down, letting her feet hit the pavement before straightening.

“No! Don’t be. It’s good.” She stammered, averting her eyes as she fights the urge to blush. Again. _Really good, actually_. Amy rests her hand on his arm as she steadies herself, and as she turns back to him she can see him take in a deep breath. In a moment of confidence, she keeps her hand there. “I know I’ve said this already, but thank you for tonight. You made it so much better than I could ever have planned.” 

He nods, smiling so softly that all the other thoughts she’d been trying to cloud her mind with disappeared. She feels the mood shift, and finds herself shuffling closer to him. It’s moments like these that make her grateful that telepathy isn’t a thing, because if it was, all he would be able to hear right now was _kiss me kiss me kiss me … oh please, kiss me._

“Hey listen, you need to know - I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t want you to come with me to the wedding back there. I want you to be there. If you do, that is.”

She nods, not trusting herself to speak, and he smiles down at her (she doesn’t even mind the height difference, she’s such a goner). Amy cranes her neck upwards, mirroring his smile with her own. _Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me._ They draw closer.

A car carrying drunk guys (that sound suspiciously like the group of bucks they just left behind at the bar) drive past, honking the horn as two lean out the window, singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their lungs. Jake pulls back with a start, and just like that the moment is gone.

_No!_

The regret is obvious in his eyes, but still Jake takes another step away from her. “Ah, I guess this is goodnight, Amy. I’ll text you about the wedding, okay?” Before she can even speak, he’s turned in the other direction, and she remains standing on the sidewalk with only her confusion for company.

_What the hell just happened?_

* * * 

It had been six days since that evening at the bar, and Amy sat at a well-decorated table at the wedding reception, hands fiddling with the handmade jewellery each guest had received as favours. 

She was fairly certain that she had just born witness to one of the most elaborate - and fabulous - weddings in history. A perfect combination of sugar and spice, which appeared to be the best way to describe the newlyweds Gina and Rosa. Jake had given her a quick rundown of their history as they had made their way to the ceremony earlier today, and Amy could tell from the pride on his face as he spoke that these two women were very important to him. 

Dropping the jewellery, her hands reached for her cellphone, swiping through to her photo album and stopping on the selfie that her and Jake had taken earlier that evening. Her intention was to post it, adhering to the ‘Don’t Forget To Tag #dianetti In All Your Pics’ rule that had been posted at every table. Instead, she found herself staring at the photo of the two of them, eyes raking over Jake’s smiling face.

Over the last few days, her phone had become filled with endless conversations between her and Jake. She had been relieved, to say the least, that the ease between them had not been a result of alcohol. Instead, they were fast becoming friends. 

The thing was … she didn’t _want_ to just be friends. Not with Jake. His handsome face filled her thoughts whenever her day grew quiet, and when she closed her eyes, she could still remember the feeling of his warm arms around hers. He made sense to her, which was completely insane. He made her laugh. But the craziest part, out of all of this, was how much she could feel herself falling for him already.

A now familiar voice breaks into her thoughts, calling out “Ames!” and she looks up with a bright smile. _Ames_. His nickname for her, born somewhere between day three and day five, and absolutely her new favourite way to hear her name. 

His face was flushed, fresh from giving each bride a turn on the dance floor. His smile, as bright as hers, made her heart skip several beats, and she wondered if her infatuation was as obvious as it felt. 

“I’m going to grab a drinks for the both of us, and then you and I are going to tear apart that dance floor. Sound like a plan?”

She nods quickly, praying that her makeup holds strong against the blush that was beginning to spread across her face, and throws him a steady smile. _Oh god, he was going to see her dance. This was going to be over before it even begun._

Somehow, he reads her reaction, casting a dismissive hand towards the crowd. “Don’t worry about them, Ames. You and I are going to _DANCE_.”

Okay, yeah. She was definitely falling for him.

* * *

Jake waits patiently at the bar, fingers tapping absentmindedly against the wood panelling as he waits for the bartender to fill his order. He was beyond impatient to head back to Amy. There hadn’t been any mention of another night after this (hell, he wasn’t even sure if this was a date or not), and he wanted to spend every possible moment with her.

Out of his peripheral, Jake watches Charles approach. Work commitments had reduced their chances to speak to each other for the past week, and Jake knew that his friend had been dying to know the details of him and Amy.

“So? Did you guys kiss, or what?” Good old Charles, always known for his tact.

Already regretting his answer, Jake looks over at Charles before shaking his head.

“What!? Jacob!” he shouts, slapping a heavy hand against his chest bone.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You save a beautiful woman, a literal _damsel in distress_ , flirt with each other all night then walk her home, and you DON’T end up _kissing_ her? You’re a lost cause, Jake.” This time a punch to the shoulder.

“This feels a little uncalled for. And for what it's worth, Amy has never been a damsel in distress.”

“No way. You’ve got something amazing in the palm of your hands, and you know it. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you let it slip away. Not a chance.”

Jake rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he turns his attention to the glasses the bartender had just placed on the bar in front of him. He had no idea why he’d run away so quickly the other night. He’d wanted to kiss her, more than anything. Heck, it was almost a week later, and he was _still_ dreaming about kissing her. She was everything that he could hope for in a woman, and for some inexplicable reason she wanted to hang out with him. 

He turns, leaning his weight against the bar as he faces the reception hall, zeroing in on the woman in question. Watching her walk towards him earlier today, in that little red dress of hers, had nearly given him a coronary. She was literally the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he’d been so proud to walk into the wedding with her beside him. His arms itched to hold her, and he’d daydreamed doing so several times already today. He was definitely falling for her. And it _completely_ terrified him.

“The stakes are through the roof for me on this one, Boyle.” It was the truth. She made him feel things. And not just sexually (although, those feelings were _definitely_ there). It was more than that. She was kind, and brilliant, and made him feel like even his most baseless conversations were worth listening to. He felt important with her - and even though she was still technically just a line above a stranger to him, he was finding it difficult to imagine a life without her in it. It sounded insane, but he simply didn’t care. 

“It’s just … what if I screw this up? This girl is amazing. And if I end up doing something stupid …”

“Jake. You have to stop assuming that everything is going to fail. Sometimes, things just work out. And you’re never going to find out, if you don’t give this thing a try. She looks at you like you hung the moon. Trust me.”

Jake nods, heart somewhere up near his throat as he takes in Boyle’s words. Maybe he was right. Maybe, this time it was his turn to find happiness.

* * * 

The lights are soft, and an inexplicable cloud of smoke begins to surround the two of them as they circle the dance floor. Jake smiles as his eyes take in the scene - it wouldn’t be Gina Linetti’s wedding if there weren’t several smoke machines involved.

A hand shifts on his shoulder, and Jake turns back to the woman in front of him. The woman whom (no offence to the two brides, but _facts were facts_ ) was easily the most beautiful woman in the room. 

Amy smiles at him, that soft shy smile he’d been greeted with the night they met. His heart was beginning to feel like a hummingbird’s wings, and he had no interest in slowing it down anymore. 

“You know, standing here, dancing to all these songs … I can’t help but feel like I’m a character in every rom-com I’ve ever seen.”

“Ah. Yes, that would be Rosa’s doing. She has a not-so-secret love for all things Nancy Meyers.”

“Rosa, my love for you is sharper than my favourite knife, Rosa?”

He laughs as Amy quotes the woman’s vows verbatim. “Yep, that’s her.”

She giggles, a sweet sound that he wants to hear forever, and it occurs to Jake that the risk of losing her was greater than any risk that came with taking a chance. 

His forehead drops to hers, both of their feet simply shuffling against the beat of the music as the act of dancing becomes second priority. Her arms, now looped around his neck, tighten imperceptibly and he reciprocates by pulling her waist just that little bit closer to his. She hums, taking in a deep breath, and whispers within their close proximity, “I’m really glad I came tonight.”

“I’m really glad I came tonight, title of your sex tape.”

She laughs, tucking her head into his neck as her shoulders continue to shake. “Oh, how you make me laugh, Jake.”

He rests his cheek against the side of her head, closing his eyes in contentment for a moment before breaking the silence. “Hey, Ames?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really glad you came tonight, too.”

She raises her head, skin brushing against his as she refuses to widen the gap between them. Her gaze looks onto his, eyes big and bright, and if it wasn’t for his steady breaths Jake would be certain that his heart had completely stopped beating.

Moving one hand from her waist, Jake cups her face in his palm, keeping the touch feather light as his thumb brushes along her jawline, tipping her mouth towards his. Her breath hitches, and before he can scare himself away, he leans in to brush his lips against hers.

She sighs softly against him, breath warm against his lips, and when he begins to pull away she pushes her face towards him again, capturing him in a kiss that threw all doubts out the window.

This was _The Kiss_. The kind of kiss that people wrote songs about, or wrote about in fairytales. It was the kind of kiss that you held onto, for years to come, the memory of it never fading. It was the kind of kiss that spelled out forever, and it was killing him that he could have had this _six whole days ago_ , if he hadn’t been so damned chicken. 

Her fingers card into his hair, feeling as though they’ve belonged there the entire time, and he moans softly into her mouth as their tongues begin to tangle together, both still so shy but so very eager for more. 

His hands begin to roam, sliding up and down her back as he pulls her impossibly closer, breathing in her perfume as the feeling of Amy in his arms settles all the nerves that had been building inside. This was it for him. He can’t explain _how_ he knew, but he knew. 

“I swear to God herself Jacob, if you upstage me at my own wedding with a porno on the dance floor, I will never forgive you.” The unmistakeable voice of Gina Linetti pulls him from the trance of Amy’s kiss, and Jake pulls away reluctantly, rolling his eyes at his oldest friend as she glares over at him. 

“Not one for the dramatics are you, Gina? Relax,” he continues as she stares him down. “No porn on the dance floor. Got it.” His tone is dripping with sarcasm, one arm wrapped around the back of Amy’s neck as her face remains tucked into his shoulder, clearly mortified at being caught mid-makeout. Gina throws him another withering stare, raising her eyebrows before being pulled away by her newly-wedded wife. 

“The coast is clear,” Jake whispers into Amy’s ear, fingers tangling into the curls at the base of her neck as she stays tucked into his side.

“Hmm, this feels a little bit like deja-vu,” she answers, leaning forward to land a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back with a smile. Her arms drop from Jake’s neck, sliding against his jacket until her hands are resting on the lapels, toying with the button on one side. She looks up at him with a coy smile, and if Jake wasn’t already in deep, it would have sunk him completely. 

“So, given the rules just laid out to us …”

“Wanna get out of here?”

She nods, a cascade of giggles bubbling out of her chest, and Jake leans in for another kiss.

“Absolutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I'm dying to know what you think! I've totally enjoyed filling these prompts, and I genuinely hope you've enjoyed reading them. Comments and kudos, if you feel up to leaving either, and always appreciated.
> 
> Thank you so very much to everyone who has responded so far. You're all the bomb-diggity. xx
> 
> Title from the song Fresh Eyes, by Andy Grammer. 
> 
> Come find me on tumblr - I won’t bite, I promise. (Unless you ask me to. 😉) I’m @amydancepants-peralta 😁


End file.
